Thursday, February 26, 2009

I know I haven’t posted in days but I have been so immersed in my workshop preparation that I haven’t had time to take any pics of what little art I have been creating (and yes, I continue to create everyday, no matter how busy I am with everything else.)

I have my flyers ready to hang up/hand out, business cards ready to print (just gotta hit the print button on those), the supply list is ready, I have two scrapbook “clubs” that have agreed to pass out the flyers and let me come answer questions and do sign ups at their upcoming crops, AND I have lesson plans for the first 2 weeks done including the handouts to go with both weeks…and now I’m working on week three.

Whew!

I never knew how much work really went into giving a workshop but I’m learning. No better way to learn something than by just diving in and giving it all you’ve got, right? I know that I will find things I didn’t think of as the workshop is in progress (and I’ll take notes of those things for future classes) but even with the nerves I’m feeling about it, I’m more excited than anything!!!

It’s going to be FABULOUS, I just know it!

One step at a time…just one foot in front of the other, that’s the only way to get anywhere…and I’m getting there. I’M REALLY GETTING THERE! Actually doing something I love and adore as my “job”…I never thought I’d be able to do this. Never. And I am. I really am.

Wow!

Do you have any idea how freakin’ awesome this is for me? I’m in shock. It’s taking off in a way that I had no idea would ever happen…people are seeking ME out and I haven’t even released any flyers or formally put out any information yet. HUH?!?! Wow. Just wow.

Dreams really do come true. It’s just never been mine before so this is very new to me…and it feels unbelievable!

Thank you all so much, from the bottom of my heart, for encouraging me and being the backbone that I couldn’t find within myself to take this leap on my own. It was here that I gained the support to do this…I owe you all so much. Thank you…thank you so much.

I hope that I can get around to scanning some of my journal pages tomorrow cause I’ve done some that I really like lately and I want to share them with you all. Oh, and my crazy-colorful bird-feeder…I have to take some pics of that to show y’all, too.

But for now, I need to fix some dinner and then maybe do some playing in my studio before bed.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

I’m really working hard to get everything ready to give my first workshop - "Visual Journaling-Creatively Savoring the Journey” YAY!

I have a to-do list I’m systematically working my way through…outline, handouts, securing an appropriate place to have the workshop, setting prices, a supply list, and on and on. But I’m working through it all, one step at a time.

I really don’t believe I would have ever had the nerve to step up to the plate and make this dream of mine come true without the wonderful support and kind words you’ve each left me here. All of the great hints and ideas you’ve sent me, the gentle pushes to just “Do it!”, and just how much of a feeling of love and support I’ve gotten from all of you. Thank you so much.

Thrillingly, I got word last night that there are another two younger women who want to sign up for the workshop. They heard about it through another woman I know that is adamant she is going to be first to sign up and is so excited about it…she’s seen my journals and wants to learn the techniques. Now her daughter and one of her daughter’s friends want to come, too.

I also received an email from a dear blog reader who is in the Huntsville, Alabama area that would like to attend…unfortunately, Huntsville is two hours away. *sigh* I wish we were closer, Kathi, but you never know what the future holds. Maybe, if there is enough interest in your area, we could set up a weekend workshop in the Huntsville area? That would be awesome!

Otherwise, I’m still trying to create small pieces for my own house and a few for my Art Fire Shop, too. It’s taking me longer than I want to actually get my shop up and running but everything in its own time, right?

I did get some AWESOME new supplies and books in the mail this week! I’ve been so excited about Claudine Hellmuth’s Studio line of products and finally received my box of goodies from the fabulous Nona Designs. I have loved playing with all my new paints (they really are great!), my sticky-back canvas is up next, and her brushes are awesome, too! If you buy nothing else, the multi-medium is the best gel medium I’ve ever used (better than Golden’s, in my opinion)…grab some of the matte and try it. You’ll never want to use any other!

New books in my art library include “Vision Chronicles” by Linda Woods and Karen Denino, “True Vision” by L.K. Ludwig, and “The Decorated Journal” by Gwen Diehn. The first two are both absolute musts for any art journalist who is learning more about the art…the latter, well, I am not so excited about it. I haven’t counted it out completely, yet, but I am withholding true judgment as of yet…hoping that I just looked it over at a bad time for me.

My library of art related books, especially Art Journaling, is growing by leaps and bounds…and I am soaking them in like crazy! I even wound up with two copies of the Jan/Feb 2009 Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine (and have no idea how that happened!) Anyone need a copy?

Okay…not enough sleep last night so I’m going to nap before I head back into the studio to work on some of my goodies I have going.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Sometimes when we dig deep into ourselves, we find more than we bargained for just waiting to come out.

Yesterday was one of those days for me…

This spread started as just a background that I had worked on for a bit with a brayer, colors the just seemed to call out at me and some of that wonderful old standby bubble wrap to stamp with…then I came across some pictures of myself as a little girl (one at age 4 and one at age 5). After I put those on the pages, the pieces seemed to take on a life of their own.

I never realized what memory was the most prevalent for me at those ages. I guess I do now.

Strangely, I feel better now.

In other news…

Thank you all so much for the overwhelming encouragement about my dream of giving an Art Journaling class.

Because of everything y’all said, I’m plunging ahead into my dream…I’m working on securing a space to give the class, naming it, and continuing to work on my class outline and printable instructions (thanks to Merc’s suggestion). Then I can work on making fliers, finding places to post them, working on enrollment, etc.

But one step at a time, right?

If anyone else has suggestions, I am all ears and willing to learn. So many of you teach various different art techniques and I would benefit so much from any knowledge you want to share or any general tips, teaching methods, instructions, etc. I am an open book and so willing to learn. (Email me at: Craft4Therapy @ gmail.com but take out the spaces.)

You all are the best! Thank you so much for your input and such wonderful cheering me on. You’ve made me feel like it’s really possible…you’ve made me feel all warm and fuzzy and really confident about my dream.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

I’ve been quite introspective lately,…quietly spending time reading, journaling and doing a tremendous amount of thinking about who I am and where I want to go in my life; what is it that I want to achieve? Soul searching, I guess you could say.

I can’t say I’ve come to any real concrete conclusions but I feel like the answers are close at hand. I know that I have to continue working on my health and that I don’t just want to create art but that it is truly a NEED for me; something I absolutely MUST do. Now, the only question is how to incorporate that into a job or career.

I’m still working on that part.

Anyway, here is the Art Journal spread that came about from all of those hours of deep thinking (as always, click to see it larger):

One thought I’m having is that because art journaling has become such an important part of my life, that I want to share it with others. I’m just beginning my journey into Art Journaling in a formal format (actual bound books as opposed to just random scraps of paper here and there) but I live in a tiny little town that has NO kind of art offerings...absolutely none! I think I could share my vision of Art/Visual Journaling to other women (and men, although I doubt in this neck of the woods any men would dip into it) through a class I could give at the local community center.

Is that a crazy idea? Am I nuts?

I’ve even started putting together a supply list, started working out the details/outline of actually giving the class, testing the waters by asking some of the women I know about possible interest (and I have 3 women that want to sign up already and I’m still just tossing it around…WOW!) I am also reading every book I can get my hands on dealing with the subject to familiarize myself to different styles of Visual Journaling.

This is something I really think I could do, that I am positive I would enjoy doing, that wouldn’t stress me physically or emotionally, and would allow me the ability to not only share something I love but also to continue healing without hurting my progress. It would also allow me to feel that I’m being productive and not just sitting here, rotting away. (That’s a biggie!)

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Sorry I haven’t been around the past few days. I’ve actually felt better for the most part but have been running around like a mad woman trying to get things done for our youngest daughter’s wedding reception (they were married on January 9th so we held their reception, dubbed their “Happily Ever After-party, here at our house last night.)

It was a wonderful success but I was absolutely wiped out from all the preparations, shopping, decorating, cleaning and baking. Every bit of food, including the wedding cake, was homemade by yours truly. She (Shelby) said she wanted a the dessert table with the wedding cake laid out like you’d see in a pastry shop…and I think we succeeded very nicely.

We met the grooms family (some of them pretty strange but oh well, we can’t choose our family and he DID warn us) and they met us (and are probably thinking the same thing about us, too.) Many of their friends showed up and everyone showered them with love and best wishes, not to mention gifts and cash. You have to love gifts and cash…they are both tickled to death.

Needless to say, my creativity has been used in decorating and baking and not in my studio or even my Art Journal for the past few days. Today was rest, relax and recuperate day…we all needed it! A five hour nap this afternoon implies the dire need, wouldn’t you say? lol

Come Monday I am hoping to be back to creating in the studio (I have some AWESOME ideas in my head that I can’t wait to bring into fruition!) and in my Art Journal. Lots of sharing, too, I promise.

Oh, has anyone ever had a problem receiving Stampington & Company publications? I ordered “Art Journaling” on January 28th, received a confirmation email on February 2nd that it would ship out in 2-4 days but, as of yet, nada. I check the mail with such excitement every day and every day I am disappointed. lol Anyway, if you have ordered from them, leave me a comment with details. I so want to know that this isn’t a common practice for them since they have so many cool publications.

Well, if you’ve read this far then you deserve a big gold star and a huge thanks. I hope you all had a great Valentines (mine was nice and restful) and the rest of your weekend is splendid as well.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Well, the wonderful and terribly missed hubby is back home, safe and sound, from his Dallas, Texas trip. My heart feels better and, believe it or not, so does my physical self. The past three days that he was gone lasted about 6 months in heart time so I am much much better. lol

I said yesterday that I had some new Art Journal pages and spreads to share with y’all today. My Art Journal is the one thing that didn’t suffer in my hubby’s absence…in fact, it probably got more of a workout than ever. I even managed to create one of my favorite pages I’ve ever done.

Anyway, here’s some of what I’ve done in the past few days (you can click on any of them to see a larger version, if you care to):

This spread is entitled “Depression” but don’t go thinking it’s just about the fact that the hubby was gone and I was down about it. I’m one of those people who has chronic depression, panic/anxiety disorder and SAD (seasonal affective disorder.) This was just about those things and the feelings that accompany them.

This one, “My Hands,” is pretty self explanatory. The tracing is of my hands and damn, I didn’t realize how hard it was to use your left hand to trace your right. lol It’s on a watercolor background I made while just goofing off and playing with my watercolor crayons.

I love having all kinds of different mediums to play with and smoosh my way around in…it is so freeing to feel like a kid to just play with colors and paints and words and markers and magazine cut-outs, all without having some set agenda. Just play, that’s all.

That’s how this one, “Bird Song,” came about…just playing with images and stamps and rub-ons and markers, not to mention a feather that my precious boys, Jasper and Juno (my Maltese doggie babies) brought me from their morning walk last week…and what do ya know, it has become one of my favorites!

I liked it so much after I put it together but felt like it needed just a little something extra. So, I took a lesson from the wonderful and fantastically creative Ingrid Dijkers and decided to take the colors from the page and add a wire beaded edge. Just the colors found on the page randomly laced on with some thin wire I had put away in my hoarding of “stuff” I’ve found here and there. lol

OMG, that made me love it even more! Thank you, Ingrid, for your wonderful inspiration…you rock!

Oh, and while I’m thinking of it…I remembered who it was that told me about the Elmer’s Blue School Glue as an adhesive/sealant (Jinxie from my SoulJournal group) and I had to go to Wal-Mart (ick!) to pick up one of my many prescriptions today and I always check the discount isle while I’m there. Well, lo and behold, there were four more bottles and they were now marked down to $.25!

Needless to say, I snagged them all. Hey, it’s a buck, I couldn’t resist.

Anyway, that’s some of what I’ve been up to while the precious love of my life has been gone…but now he’s home and after relaxing with a couple of beers and some goofing off with a few rounds of Guitar Hero while I wrote this, I think his exhausted body is about ready for bed.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Yeah, cute enough, I suppose, if you’re decorating your beach house or something but sooooo totally not my thing. And believe me, he knew it wasn’t my thing, he got it for me to use as a blank (but enhanced with character) canvas.

And that is exactly what I did…

This is the result (but I’m not real happy with the pic but oh well.) Shades of white/gray scrapbook papers with lettering done in Sharpie markers and acrylic paints and highlighs, lowlights, and swirls done with various ink pads, stamps and a distressing pad. I also added some rub-ons around the corners/edges to add a little something to the window framing.

What do you think?

I adore it. I love filling our house with my own art, with color and with LOVE. What better art to add to our home this week before Valentine’s Day? (Cute, ain’t I? lol)

Let’s see, what else?

My hubby (who is apparently my muse) has been gone on a business trip to Dallas since the wee hours of Sunday morning. As hokey or cheesy as it sounds, we’ve never spent a night apart since before we married. I have been bringing more of my personal life into this blog and my marriage is something I haven’t really said too much about around here, figuring it would bore everyone.

But hey, no time like the present…

My husband and I met on the internet. Not through a dating sight but merely through chance. We became fast friends (and only friends, not even any flirting) and talked each day online and eventually on the phone, supporting each other through some rough times we were each going through at the time. Quickly we became best friends…we were brutally honest with each other, and still are, becoming friends like no other.

Eventually we decided to have dinner together at a midway point between our respective towns (2 1/2 hours apart), still as friends, but when we met face to face, the moment I looked into his eyes (yea, cheesy and hokey again, I know) it was like fireworks went off. I just KNEW. I knew that this man, this “friend”, was like no other I had ever known and that I had finally, after 40 years and two failed marriages, met my soul mate.

Luckily he saw the same things in me and felt the same way on that very first face to face meeting.

We’ve been together ever since. We started planning our wedding/marriage two weeks later and were married five weeks and six days after that first date. The best thing that’s ever happened to me. He is still my best friend.

Anyway, just a little something about me and my life I thought I’d share. Now, back to art…

I thought that while he was gone I would practically live in my studio…but it hasn’t worked out that way. He is such an inspiration to me plus, I’m not feeling real well.

Exhaustion, pain, nausea and that need to nap has returned full force. Ugh! It seems to be a come and go thing so I called the doc this morning and she has me coming in for blood work in the morning. Again.

Even when I don’t seem to have the energy or the inspiration to spend hours in the studio, I always have thoughts roving around in my head that I can Art Journal about…this time is no exception. This page just seemed to flow out of me quite effortlessly.

It’s based on my relationship with my youngest sister (very tumultuous), who constantly tries to pick fights through her passive/aggressive nature. Ugh!

Nuff said on that one.

I have quite a few other journal pages I’ve completed but I think I’ll save them for tomorrow. I even created one that I think is my all time favorite in my Art Journaling so I hope you will come back and see that creation tomorrow.

That’s about it for today. I hope you’re all having a great Monday, if there is such a thing. HA!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

I’ve been happily working my butt off on all the wonderful art projects I have going right now…the window frame that my hubby brought me home is coming along splendidly and I should have it completed in the morning so I can share it with y’all.

I had another unexpected surprise in the mailbox today. One of my wonderful blog friends (this one I do know who she is and appreciate her generosity so much!) sent me the gorgeous mica powders off my wishlist. Oh the fun I will have with these and can’t wait to use them (tomorrow!) Thank you so much…your kindness and thoughtfulness overwhelms me. *Big Tight Hugs*

Today was not an art day…I’ve pretty much spent today just snuggling and cuddling with my hubby. He leaves on a business trip to Dallas in the morning and (don’t laugh or gag) we’ve never spent a night apart since before we got married, 3 years ago. We’re both kind of sad…we love being together. *sniffle* lol

He leaves on a 6:50am flight out of Birmingham in the morning which means I have to have him up by 3am so he can shower, shave and drive the two hours to the airport in time to check in early for his flight.

I think I may just stay up until it’s time to wake him…I’m scared of over-sleeping. lol I will probably just work in my art journal for a while (the hours can just fly by when I’m immersed in creating and especially in my art journal.)

Speaking of my art journal, I was looking back over the pages I’ve done since the beginning of the year and found a journal spread I thought that I had shared but realized that I haven’t…anyway I thought it might be of some interest or even a source of inspiration. As always, you can click on the pic for a better view and to read the journaling better.

What are your totems? What animals, things in nature, shapes and figures are you particularly drawn to? Why not journal about them? If you do, please share…I’d love to see what you come up with. I adore seeing others journal pages and art in general.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

First, thanks for all the wonderful complements and kind encouragement about my artwork on my last post. I know that as artists we’re not supposed to live by validation from outside sources but I’m human and encouragement and praise does make me feel more “real” in what I’m doing, I can’t help it. So thank you all so much. I’m loving the pair of paintings more and more each day.

It’s been a bit of a rough week around here…finishing up doing the taxes (ugh!), preparing the house (bit by bit) for our youngest daughters wedding reception that we’re throwing next Friday, resting when my body says I must (which seems to be getting better, by the way), reading in my growing library of art/creativity books, and prioritizing so that I can create my art in at every moment possible.

I have the most wonderful husband…I’ve told him that I want canvases of all types to use in creating art…some for our home and others for “projects” that I may choose to set free into the world in one way or another.

Check out the score he brought me home Saturday (from a garage sale he passed by on his way home from work):

It was priced at $10…he got it for $2! Woot! He’s learning how to be a cheap, uh thrifty guy…I’m teaching him well. lol Think I’ll ever get him to dumpster dive or scan the streets on the night before trash day? HA…I doubt it.

Anyway, this has become my latest project for our house. It’s cute enough, I guess, but soooo not me and definitely NOT what I want for our house. It will be when I’m done, though. I have an awesome idea for it and can’t wait to get it done…it will be fabulous!

Here’s how it looks right now (and you don’t need to pay any attention to the studio mess you can see in the background…I work messy, okay? lol):

Give me a couple of days and you won’t recognize this bad-boy!

I’ve also been busy in my art journal. I LOVE my art journal…it is such a source of release and inspiration and even peace for me. It’s as though, putting my thoughts and just trusting my instincts in creating each page, brings peace to my soul.

I’ve also joined in on a couple of online groups, GPP Street Team (a monthly prompt) and Make it Mondays for their weekly prompt to keep the inspiration flowing.

This is my contribution/creation for this weeks Make it Mondays prompt, PINK:

I’m not sure if you can read any of the journaling here (click on the pic to see it larger, if you’d like) but it’s kind of about how pink is such a girly color and I’m not such a girly-girl and feel no real need to conform to society’s ideals of what a woman really is. Just because I’m not girly, doesn’t make me any less of a woman.

Nuff said.

Anyway, that’s what’s going on with me…busy, busy, busy and creating as much as I can.

I hope you all are feeling inspired and creating to your hearts content.

Monday, February 2, 2009

I promised photos today and even with the busy-ness of creativity I’ve been into, I still managed to take pics of my projects and my progress in adding not only color but also adding my own art to our house.

First is the street number sign I painted-created for our front porch railing. It’s made of an old drawer front that I saw sticking out of the next door neighbor’s trash can on the night before trash day..being the queen of reusing/recycling and dumpster diving, you know I couldn’t resist.

The shutters on our house are a deep reddish brown, so I painted the basecoat to match (as best I could), and used some scrapbooking paper and cut out the numbers and flourishes with my Cricut. I adhered them to the painted drawer front with gel medium, then painted the border of diamonds on with one of my homemade Jenga block stamps (see the tutorial in my list of them in the right sidebar) in a paint color I mixed to match the numbers.

Screw in hooks at the top and hung from the porch railing. Woot! One project down…and I do like the way it turned out…an infinite number of projects to go!

My next project was to infuse some COLOR into our house and to also display some of my own art…this one does both. The mantle above the fireplace in our dining room was BOR-RING!

*yawn*

Now it has this great burst of color with these two paintings that I completed this morning.

I love trees and have always had a strong love for them, as long as I can remember. That lone tree at the top of a hill gives me such a warm and fuzzy feeling so it’s natural that I chose to paint a tree..even in a whimsical/swirly kind of way.

I love the moon and the sun, day and night..so how cool to include both with the same tree?

I don’t know if it’s just me and that I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished with this (these?) piece(s) but I really do love them. When you walk in the back door off our carport, *BAM*, they are the first thing that just grabs your attention now…where before it was just a bland room with white crown molding, a white mantle and brick fireplace.

Not any more!

So, there are my beginnings at adding myself through my art and things I love (trees and the Peace word art I found stuck off in our christmas decorations lol), not to mention infusing COLOR into our house. I guess you could say I’m making it more of a home instead of just a house, huh?

Tomorrow is another day…and, I hope, work on another project that I’ve already got planned out in my head as I continue adding myself, my art, the things I love and lots and lots of beautiful, bright color to our surroundings.

What are you doing to bring the things and colors you love into your home?

I have only just began reading Kelly Rae Roberts book “Taking Flight” that my thoughtful, secret angel sent to me but it has really inspired me greatly already!

If you don’t have this awesome book, you really do need to get a copy. It’s great for the beginning (or even the haven’t yet began) artist as well as the long-time, seasoned pro. Kelly talks to you in a way that just reaches down into your depths and grabs you…making you so much more willing and wanting to find and explore your passion(s) and take the risk of becoming more of your true self.

Trust me…it is fantastic and I am honored to have received it. (Thank you again, dear RAK angel!)

Well, after beginning Kelly’s book and being inspired from the get go, I have spent the entire weekend’s waking hours (cause y’all know I have to nap quite a bit these days) creating some wonderful, beautiful art that just came to me in a moment of creative epiphany the other day.

I finished the street number sign for the house but since it’s dark, I can’t take a photo of it until morning. But it turned out much differently than my original vision…that’s how art is sometimes and I rather like that, too. I like that although I am the one creating, even I don’t know how each piece will turn out until it’s done.

I also have painted two pieces that “go together” but that are very different from anything else I’ve ever done. Surprisingly, I already love them! I don’t feel like they’re done yet but very close…and I will share them when I feel they’re complete. Tomorrow, I’m sure.

I was really inspired by talk here and there on various “friends” blogs about decorating with your own art. I realized that my studio was the only place that I had any of my own art displayed. What’s up with that?? If I don’t like my art well enough to decorate with it, how could I ever expect anyone else to want to display my art?

Whether it’s my original artwork or photos by me (like the Sunflowers at left) or by my daughter (the true photographer in the family with vision that is unbelievable!), I want to showcase those beautiful things.

The more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realized that our entire house is decorated much, MUCH more calm and tame than what I really enjoy and love. Too many neutral colors (very NOT me!), bland artwork (also NOT me)…let’s face it, it’s just BORING! Very, very boring…and I am not a boring woman and I surely don’t have boring taste, yet it doesn’t show in my home.

I’ve decided that I am now on an adventure to change all that…one piece at a time and one color at a time. It’s my plan to infuse the entire house (slowly, trust me…I know my illness limits me quite a bit) with the warm colors I adore…reds, oranges, golden hues, earthy greens and browns.

It’s as though I realized that our home is a HUGE canvas that I have completely overlooked…or maybe I’ve just been too afraid to touch the blank canvas for fear that I will mess it up…whatever the reason, I’ve realized it and I’m not only willing to face it but to roll up my sleeves and begin doing something about it, piece by piece, room by room.

I hope you’ll come along with me on this journey of change (on a slow but grand scale) I’m embarking on…the dining room is the first room that will get some great color and fun and funky artwork.

Let the fun begin! WOOT! I am so excited!

Back tomorrow with photos of my first dousing of color and art to our home.